Devices for recovering underwater objects, such as practice mines and torpedoes, have undergone a sophisticated evolution. Generally, divers no longer need to grope about in cold, murky, deep water to affix hoisting lines to the expended devices. Marine mammals have shown an unusual ability for performing such tasks due to their improved eyesight, better respiratory cycles, and a variety of other reasons. Trainers have found that after a short period of time the animals could be trained to locate a sunken device by homing-in on a source of sound carried on the expended ordnance. When they got close enough to see it, they would attach recovery device and retreival line. The grabber disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,941 issued to Ronald L. Seiple and entitled "Marine Mammal Underwater Attachment and Recovery Tool" served quite well during the recovery of a lightweight breed of practice torpedoes. However, care needed to be exercised in handling or the mechanism might become mechanically disabled. Reliable engagement was not assured unless it was aligned nearly perfectly. Marine sediment created problems and the recovery of ordnance partially buried in the ocean floor was difficult. Some of these problems have been avoided by the "Improved Grabber", disclosed in a pending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 607,162, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,745 to the present inventor, Arthur F. Langguth. This grabber uses spring biased telescoping sections of tubing to reach around a sunken object. In the case of objects partially buried in the sand, a compressed gas arrangement is added to jet away the sediment to allow passage of the tubing sections and engagement. In spite of the proven capabilities of the state of the art, however, a less complicated and, hence, more reliable retrieving device should be designed. Thus, there is a continuing need in the state of the art for a highly reliable grabber capable of lifting loads weighing several thousand pounds.